Island



(No Model.)

W. R. DUTEMPLE;

v RUBBER STAMP. No. 466,398. Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

WITNESSES. I I Y INVENTDFL. (MA/j W\\\ Cxm1$$5m k NITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. DUTEMPLE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

RUBBER STAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,398, dated January 5, 1892.

' Application filed July 16, 1891. Serial No. 399,725. (No model.)

i To all whom it,mwy concern:

- invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to rubber stamps, so called, but more especially to an improved manner of mounting the elastic or yielding type-face to the handle portion.

Heretofore, so far as. I am aware, it has been usual to secure the rubber stamping face directly to an inelastic'or unyielding base, the latter, in' the case of a hand-stamp, forming the handle portion.

There are objections to the use of rubber stamps as commonly made, the chief objection being the inability of the stamp to adapt itself so as to produce a clear or legible impression upon curved or irregular surfaces. For example, certainclasses of manufacturers-say jewelry ma'nufacturersfrequently pack their goods in paper boxes or cases, the name of the sender and sometimes that of the addressee being affixed to such packages by means of rubber stamps. In case the surface of the package be practically fiat the rubber face of the stamp will toa certain extent accommodate itself to such surface during the marking operation and produce a legible impression; but in case the surface of the package be somewhat curved, the paper boxes used, however, being almost invariably concave, the impression will be imperfect-- that is, only the two end portions of the stamp tially, of a suitable head or base portion provided with a curved face having attached thereto a spring-plate, to which is secured the type-face or impression-surface, having a greater degree of elasticity or flexibility than said spring-plate, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 represents a side elevation, in partial section, of a rubber hand-stamp embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line a: :r of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the spring backing to which the rubber type-face is secured. Fig. 4 is an inverted 'plan view of the head or base portion. Fig. 5 is a side view of the stamp slightly modified, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the head curved transversely.

Again referring to the drawings, A indicates my improved stamp as a whole-that is, a stamp adapted to be used in the same manner as an ordinary rubber hand-stamp. The head or base portion a of the stamp is made of wood or other suitable material, although wood is generally employed,the same having a handle h secured to its top or back, as olearly'shown. I would state that the face of the head a is usually made fiat or level and having the rubber or elastic type portion 0 cemented thereto. Sometimes, however, the face of the head is curved, in which case the rubber c is cemented directly to such curved surface. My invention differs from such wellknown manner of construction in that, notwithstanding the face of the head is curved or crowning, being lowest at the two ends a a, I inter-pose a flat yielding or spring backing-plate 1) between such curved face and the elastic or rubberv type portion 0. This plate I) I preferably make of thin rolled German silver, the same as drawn,having a cylindrical tongue or projection f secured centrally to its back. The head ais provided with a hole 6, adapted to freely receive the part f, the latter being attached to the head by a pin 19, passing transversely through the parts, as clearly shown. The rubber type portion 0 is cemented or otherwise secured directly to the outer face of the spring-plate b. In some cases the backing-plate itself may also be curved, as indicated in Fig. 5, although practically I prefer to make it substantially fiat.

By means of my improvement it is obvious that the impressing portion of the stamp is well adapted to automatically accommodate or adjust itself (within its limits) to irregular and curved surfaces, the matter imprinted thereon during the stamping operation being clear and legible. By reason of the tongue or pivot f, loosely attached to the head, the plate and its type-surface become practically universally self-adj ustin g.

The characteristic or distinguishing feature of my invention resides in the head or frame a, provided with a curved face, in combination with a substantially fiat flexible plate I), to which is secured elastic or yielding type c, the flexible plate being attached to the head in such manner that its end portions are susceptible of an independent vertical or rearward movement.

In Fig. 6 the stamp is represented as having the face of the head portion a curved transversely, as at a thereby adapting the stamp to surfaces having a slightly cup-shape form. This figuremayalso representaround stamp. In such case the surface or end portion a would practically have the form, say, of a zone or portion of a sphere, the flexible backing-plate b and elastic type-face 0 being substantially as hereinbefore described.

The manner of using my improved stamp is substantially the same as commonly practiced-that is, the rubber or type face 0 is first applied to the inkiug-padto ink the type, after which the inked stamp is applied to the surface to be marked and the impression quickly made bya comparatively slight pressure, it being unnecessary to swing or rock the handle, as would be the case if the type-face were rigidly secured directly to the curved face of the head.

In lieu of attaching the plate I) to the head by means of the pin 13, &c., it may be attached at substantially the same point by the employment of one or more small screws or nails passing transversely through the plate directly into the face of the head, thereby in use leaving the end portions of the flexible flat plate free to spring back and forth to accommodate itself to the inequalities or curvature of the surface on which the impression is being made.

My improvement is well adapted to other forms of stamps using rubber-faced type, or, in other words, modifications in details of construction to adapt it to such rubber stamps may be made without departing from the principle or abandoning the advantages of my invention.

I am aware that movable elastic type have been mounted in a flexible bed-plate, which in turn is removably secured to the surface of a cylinder or frame, the entire surface of the bed-plate fitting snugly against such cylinder, the whole when thus mounted and in use forming a printing-roller or hand-stamp, the principle or manner of its operation being substantially as common.

I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent- 1. As an improved article ,of manufacture, a printing-etampconsisting of a head or frame having a curved face, a substantially fiat flexible plate attached thereto andhavingfthe end portions of the plate free to spring back and forth, and an elastic or yielding printing-surface secured to the face of said plate,,substantially as hereinbeforeidescribed.

2. In a stamp of the class described, the combination, with the header frame a, provided with a curved face, of an elastic printing -surface secured to a substantially flat spring-plate attached at a single point to the curved face of said head, substantially as hereinbefore described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. DUTEMPLE. Witnesses:

CHARLES HANNIGAN, GEO. *I-I. REMINGTON. 

